Secret 36: Making the Most of Our Lives

Excerpted from Zingerman’s Guide to Good Leading, Part 3:
A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach to Being a Better Leader.

Of the Natural Laws of Life, the first—about the importance of vision—is one of the least recognized in the wider business world, but it’s probably the most powerful of the twelve. It’s also the most expansive and inclusive—writing a personal vision gives you a chance to weave any or all of the other eleven into your desired future. With that in mind, here’s Ari's take on why each of the Natural Laws contributes meaningfully to being successful and leading a rewarding, creative, and connected life.

As Russian anarchist Mikhail Bakunin wrote well over a century ago, “The liberty of man consists solely in this: that he obeys natural laws because he has himself recognized them as such, and not because they have been externally imposed upon him by any extrinsic will whatever, divine or human, collective or individual.” Starting to live the Natural Laws won’t guarantee that you’ll attain world-class success in a week, but we're confident that over time they’ll contribute positively and progressively to the quality of your life.